The standard of refereeing at this World Cup has been the best in the competition's history, according to the head of the Fifa referees committee. Angel Maria Villar, the Spanish chairman of the panel, also rejected widespread criticism of officials from the likes of Fifa's president Sepp Blatter and Franz Beckenbauer, president of the organising committee.

A record number of yellow and red cards have been shown, and crucial games including a decisive group match between Australia and Croatia and the second-round tie between Portugal and Holland have been coloured by poor officiating. The respective referees in those matches, Graham Poll and Valentin Ivanov, were sent home after their poor displays.

Villar denied that those two were typical of the tournament as a whole, however, and claimed that the vast majority of officials had got decisions right.

"Ninety per cent of the refereeing has been at a very high level at this World Cup, a far cry from Korea and Japan in 2002," he said. "We have far less serious injuries, and far more goals scored. Most of the matches have been played fairly in a great sporting spirit. We want a clean World Cup and we are achieving that. Of course there have been errors, but we are all human beings and have the right to make mistakes."

Villar was critical of the attitude of some players, however, echoing concerns about simulation voiced by Beckenbauer, who said that players were doing "everything in their power" to mislead officials.

"Simulation is now a huge part of football and players are simulating all the time," the Spaniard said.

He also claimed there has been an improvement in the performances of linesmen: "It is the World Cup of the assistant referee. More goals are being scored in situations where before the flag would have gone up and the goal not stood."

Villar said he had encouraged Poll to continue his career after he showed three yellow cards to the same player before dismissing him, and he defended Ivanov who showed 16 yellow and four red cards in the Portugal v Holland game.

"Mr Poll is a great ref and a great man who has admitted to a mistake. Mr Valentin is a great referee who showed the cards as he saw fit."

Villar, the president of the Spanish FA, a Fifa vice-president and executive committee member, was once sent off for punching Johan Cruyff in the face during a match in Spain.